DALLAS — It’s rare to see a team put out a press release for a player with a day-to-day injury. Yet, the moment the Celtics announced that Kristaps Porzingis was dealing with a rare torn medial retinaculum that had led to a dislocation, it felt like the writing was on the wall. Porzingis wanted to play but the Celtics medical staff elected to keep him out with his physical ability limited and risk of further injury very much real.
There was also the reality of where the Celtics were in this series. Entering Game 3, Boston was not a desperate team. They were the better team and remained as such without Kristaps Porzingis, as has been the case for the majority of the team’s playoff run. Boston improved to 11-1 this postseason with Porzingis sidelined in their Game 3 win, with several Celtics noting how the victory was done with the big man in mind.
“We feel for him,” Jrue Holiday said. “We know that he wants to be out there fighting with us and we want him out there with us. But we’ve always had the next-man-up mentality and to go out there and win it for him and win it for our team.”
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Several Celtics all series long have reiterated how much of a better team the Celtics are with Porzingis on the floor. That much was true in the first two games of this series as Dallas didn’t have answers for him in constant mismatches. Yet, Brad Stevens built a roster able to withstand his absence all year long. After playing without him for 25 games in the regular season, the Celtics were not daunted by his absence on such a big stage. Instead, they once again showed their depth without him.
“We’ve been playing all season and all playoffs without KP,” Jaylen Brown said. “So it wasn’t any surprise for anybody. Obviously we’d love to have KP out there. We are different when he is.
“But X stepped in that role, and I thought he was great. Defensively I thought he was stellar, and that big shot he made in the corner, I just knew it. I just knew when I drove, they were going to help, and he was going open. And I trusted it all the way. I just knew it was going in. I don’t know how to tell you. It was just like a divine experience. I knew X was going to make that shot, and he did. That was big for us. I thought X was great.”
With Boston holding a 3-0 series lead, it’s likely Porzingis now has played his last game of the series already per multiple reports. The possibility of surgery looms for Porzingis as he recovers from the dislocation and tear. He took Boston’s offense to another level this season when he was out on the floor but the Celtics talent edge has been so considerable this postseason, he’s been more of a luxury than a necessity.
Boston will go for their 11th straight win and a championship on Friday night likely without Porzingis in Game 4 at the American Airlines Center.
